Effective Student Training for Global Careers

Many offices rely on student staff or volunteers to provide advising, mentoring and programming to their student populations. While providing invaluable support, these students must also gain skills and training that will prepare them for future global careers. In this NAFSA e-Learning Seminar, participants will learn strategies for delivering impactful and effective student staff training. Discover ways to better prepare your student staff or volunteers for their responsibilities and the situations they will come across. This seminar will also provide examples of programs from international student services and education abroad offices that focus on helping them develop global leadership and intercultural competencies.

Learning Outomes

After attending this NAFSA e-Learning Seminar, participants will be able to:

• Identify existing resources at their institutions to recruit diverse student or staff volunteers.
• Develop a toolkit of activities and assessments for delivering impactful and effective student staff or volunteer training.
• Help student staff or volunteers develop global leadership and intercultural competencies.

The content will be relevant to international educators in all fields and departments

Presenters

Eva Wong
William & Mary

Eva Wong is the assistant director for international programs at The College of William and Mary in Virginia (William & Mary). In her role, Wong oversees programs, advocacy, and outreach initiatives to support the success of William & Mary’s international community. She works closely with faculty, staff, and administrators to advance cross-cultural engagement and learning on campus. Wong also provides immigration advice to international students, scholars, and their families. Having studied in the United States as an international student, she has first-hand knowledge about the value of cross-cultural exchanges. Wong is also actively involved with NAFSA at the regional and national level, including serving on the Region VIII team as the Campus and Community Programming representative, presenting at regional conferences, serving as a proposal reviewer for NAFSA annual conferences, and becoming a mentor to new professionals. She holds a Ph.D. in education with an emphasis on cultural perspectives and comparative education from the University of California- Santa Barbara.

Katherine Heird Villamar
Towson University

Katherine Heird Villamar is the associate director for study abroad at Towson University. Heird Villamar has been working in international higher education capacities within the United States and abroad for more than a decade. Prior to Towson University, she served as the assistant director of international education services at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) and as an international programs coordinator at the Centers for Interamerican Studies (CEDEI) in Cuenca, Ecuador. She holds a master's degree in intercultural communications from UMBC and a bachelor's degree in Spanish from Salisbury University.

Vivian Yamoah
Towson University

Vivian Yamoah is the associate director of the International Student and Scholar Office at Towson University. She has been in the field of international education for more than 10 years. Since graduating with her BA in Asian studies and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia, she has worked in international education at the middle school, high school, and university levels with U.S. and international students. She has a master’s degree in cross-cultural communication and international management from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in the United Kingdom. She has worked at both private and public colleges and universities. She is a member of the NAFSA Trainer Corps. Her area of expertise includes student and scholar immigration advising, international student academic advising, and international student career advising. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in higher education.